Superbike World Championship calendar ready to
add India
Sunday March 11, 2012 11:17:28 AM,
Bharat Sharma, IANS
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New Delhi: A year
from now, the Hondas and the Ducatis will be scorching the Buddh
International Circuit (BIC) with the Superbike World Championship
(WSBK) getting ready to enter India.
Formula One put India on the world motorsports map in October and
last month came the announcement of the first ever GT1 race at the
BIC in Greater Noida in December. WSBK had little choice but to
follow suit.
"We can expect the first World Superbike race to take place in
2013," Maurizio Flammini, president of Infront Motor Sports, told
IANS in an online interview. Infront Motors Sports are the
promoters of the WSBK, regulated by the World Motorcycle
Federation FIM.
The bikes used for the premier racing series will be the tuned
versions of the Hondas, Kawasakis, Ducatis and Suzukis, which also
make consumer vehicles.
The WSBK has made a return to Asia after nine years by announcing
Indonesia as one of the venues in 2013. The date for Indonesia has
not been finalised while the India round is expected to take place
early next year.
"The race will most likely happen early next year. It would be
decided after the final round of our meeting with the WSBK
officials. We have held several meetings with them and they are
looking forward to coming to India," an official from Jaypee
Group, the owners of BIC, told IANS.
Flammini said it was crucial for the WSBK to add India, Indonesia
and Australia to the calendar and described it as a great thing to
happen for the championship.
"In the Asia-Oceania area, with Australia and Indonesia joining
the fold, we are very keen on adding India to the calendar. Now,
we cover almost the entire region. We are always interested in
expanding the calendar, but we do not increase the workload of the
teams. Three races in such important nations, including the two
most important Asian markets, are a great achievement for our
championship," he said.
Flammini said the success of the inaugural F1 race attracted them
towards India.
"The organisers (Jaypee Group) did a great job in making the
inaugural F1 race a thundering success. Two factors influenced our
decision. First the F1 success and then the way the race was
organised. I am sure it will attract other important international
motorsport series to India."
Moto GP series, equivalent of F1 in bike racing, could be the next
to come to India. The WSBK completed 25 years in 2012, the season
opener being in Phillip Island near Melbourne last month.
Each round has two races and a driver and a manufacturer is
crowned world champion at the end of the season. Spain's Carlos
Checa was the drivers champion in 2011 while his Ducati team
bagged the manufacturers' title.
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